Page 53 of Save the Dance

“I wish I’d skipped this and stayed home,” he muttered.

“You can’t hole up in your office for the rest of your life. You’ve barely poked your head out ever since Tara left.” At his side, Evelyn hurried to match his sidewalk-eating pace. “It’ll be good for you to be with friends tonight.”

“I guess. If nothing else, I’ll give them someone to blame if things turn out the way I expect.”

“No one said anything to you about the results?”

“No. Weddings Today has held their cards pretty close to the vest.” The whole town had been on edge, waiting for the big announcement. “Greg received the FedEx package this morning, but he didn’t want to open it until we could all be there. I heard Bar Harbor got theirs yesterday. They made it to fourth place.”

“Ouch! They’ve always come in second, haven’t they?”

“Yep.” Judging from the hatchet job he’d read on Tara’s computer, Heart’s Landing wouldn’t even make it into the top ten. The stomach ache that had been a near-constant companion of late flared.

“Don’t worry, Jason. Everything will be all right.” Evelyn’s voice dropped to a low whisper. “She said she gave us top marks. Maybe it’ll be enough. And remember, she did do right by Thaddeus.” The information Tara had left in the library, combined with the entries in Mary’s diary, had finally settled the questions surrounding the Captain’s legend.

“One thing doesn’t have anything to do with the other. She lied before. We can’t trust her to keep her word. She could’ve changed her mind and sabotaged our entry after she left here.” He didn’t want to believe that Tara would stoop so low, but what choice did he have? He couldn’t let himself believe in her. If he did, he’d expose the frayed nerves of the heartache that had barely begun to heal. “I wish I knew what she put in her final report.”

“You’re sure no one else even suspects she had a hidden agenda?”

“You and I are the only people who know why Regina really sent Tara here. I haven’t told a soul.” He’d planned to. But, as it turned out, the mayor’s cold had developed into full-fledged pneumonia that had landed him in the hospital for ten days. It went against Jason’s moral code to hit a good man while he was down, so he’d held off on sharing his news until Greg had fully recovered. By then, too much time had passed. Whatever Tara had decided to do, she’d already done it.

Reaching I Do Cakes, Jason pulled open the door and held it while Evelyn entered. Unlike the excited chatter that had greeted him before the Weddings Today’s visit, a subdued hush lay over the bakery tonight. Here and there, muted conversations barely rose to a whisper. Not exactly eager to talk with anyone, he exchanged a quiet word with Mildred Morey and nodded to other friends he hadn’t seen much of recently. His social obligations out of the way, he headed to the chairs Evelyn found for them in the back of the room. They took their seats just as the clock struck seven.

Greg approached the hostess stand that had been pressed into service as a podium. A hollow sound echoed through the room when he rapped on it.

“Well, this is it, folks,” he began, holding the much-ballyhooed envelope aloft. “The results are in, and tonight we’ll learn if all our hard work over the last year has paid off. We’ll get to that in just a minute. Before we do, I want to give a quick thanks to everyone who helped us get ready for the competition. Heart’s Landing wouldn’t have a chance of retaining its number-one rating if it weren’t for the dedication you’ve all shown our town.”

Polite applause rippled through the room when Greg stopped to sip from his water glass.

“Special thanks to our renewal committee,” he continued, naming three of the four members one by one. Each stood to a round of applause.

“Last, but certainly not least, the whole town owes a huge debt of gratitude to Jason Heart. When I fell sick on the very day the rep from Weddings Today arrived, Jason stepped up to the plate. No one could’ve done a better job. Jason, stand and take a bow.”

In his chair, Jason tried not to squirm. Praise was the last thing he deserved. If the town lost its leading position in the competitive wedding destination arena, the fault was his alone.

Evelyn’s elbow delivered a sharp jab to his side. “Up.”

He gave in, standing to heartfelt applause. Unable to accept praise when, in all likelihood, his failed relationship with Tara had only made things worse for the town he loved, he sank onto the chair like he had lead weights tied to his ankles.

If anyone other than Evelyn noticed his discomfort, Greg didn’t give them a chance to comment on it. At the podium, the mayor raised the envelope. “Here it is, folks, the moment we’ve been waiting for. Just remember, no matter where we land on the scale, I’m proud of each and every one of you for making Heart’s Landing the perfect place to get married. Let me hear it now.”

Someone up front shouted, “The best is yet to be!”

Disappointment wreathed Greg’s face. “Okay, folks. You can do better than that.”

“The best is yet to be!”

While the cheer echoed off the walls, Greg ripped the padded envelope open. Shielding the magazine from prying eyes, he stared down at the cover. “Well, would you look at that.”

“What is it, Greg?” Mildred called from her aisle seat.

“Did we win?” Tom Denton leaned forward.

A wide grin broke across Greg’s face. He held up the magazine for all to see. Pandemonium erupted as the business owners got their first glimpse of the glossy cover featuring the Captain’s Cottage. Beneath the masthead for Weddings Today, bold print named Heart’s Landing as America’s Top Wedding Destination.

“I knew we could count on her,” Evelyn whispered at his side.

“How is that even possible?” Jason shook his head.

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